Rossetti’s Obsession

Rossetti’s Obsession: Images of Jane Morris

Jane Burden Morris (1839 - 1914) was the wife of poet and designer William Morris, and the favoured model of Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti. In his maturity Rossetti drew and painted Jane with obsessional intensity and she was cast in many roles - as Beatrice, Pandora, Proserpine, Astarte.

Whether in direct or symbolic guise, Jane’s features are depicted with sombre intensity that offer a glimpse into Rossetti’s troubled soul. This exhibition brings together compelling examples of this pictorial obsession, together with contrasting images of Jane as herself reflecting her actual life and interests, beyond modelling.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828 - 1882) was the leading member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His depictions of Jane ensured her face became the iconic image of dark, enigmatic Pre-Raphaelite womanhood.